Finding You
by Diana-Jae
Summary: When Tokiya and Fuuko split, both were left heart-broken, and Fuuko moved to the U.S. But when the possibility of winning Fuuko back presents itself to Tokiya, how far will he go to do just that? Chapter 4 uploaded.
1. Chapter 1

**** Finding You ****

-- Author Notes --

This is my first Recca no Honou fic, so please be kind. I haven't seen much of the series (actually, only one or two) so I made this into an AU fic, in hopes that I wouldn't be pummeled to death for totally wrecking the plot of RnH. (But by turning this into AU, I have "already" destroyed it. Gomen, gomen. This girl is definitely suffering form mental retardation.) I still don't know how I'm going to fit in their madougu and crap into this, if it even is possible. I'm thinking about forgetting about it too. *continually bangs her head against a wall* But I really, really wanted a try at writing an RnH fic because…well…I'm tired of the same old. (Actually, I wanted more of a try at writing a Tok/Fuu fic. XD!!) *sigh*

I kind of tried to stay within the characters' original personalities or whatever, but I really, really fooked up Mi-chan's and Fuuko-chan's. I only know of their personalities through other fanfics, so it goes by whatever I read, and I trust that those are pretty much in the bounds of their original personalities, but I still managed to mess it up. Oh yeah, and I'm really sorry if parts of this came out really sappy and corny as crap. ^-^;; I was listening to "With Coffee" when I wrote this. Stupid song. Oh, oh. And I didn't kill off Mifuyu in this fic. I need her alive~!!! Actually not really, but I wanted to know what it would be like if she were alive. ^-^;;

And thanks a crap load, J-anne! The help was deeply appreciated. *bows down a million times* She was the one who suggested the title. Twas supposed to be called "Fragments of Memories" but nOoOo~!! Oh great and mighty J-annie wannie just had to make me change it. Thanks. ^-^!! Hehe. Now on with the crummy story. 

****

            "Fuuko, hon, are you feeling alright? You look a little pale." 

            "I'm fine, mom. I just have a headache." A tall, slim girl with purple-pink locks slowly climbed into the back seat of the shiny, black SUV. 

            "You know, your mother's right. You look more like you need to stay in bed. I'm sure Mrs. Kayden won't mind if you've missed out on one of her Christmas get-togethers."

            "No. Don't worry about it, dad. I don't want to miss this. This is going to be my first time to attend her formal gigs and I don't want to miss it." She buckled up and rested her head on the side of the car. 

            Her father looked a bit skeptical but finally acquiesced. There was no arguing with his daughter. 

"If you say so. Well, here we go." The vehicle slowly backed up from the snow-paved driveway and onto the road. "You'll have fun tonight." The girl's father looked through the rear-view mirror and smiled at his 16-year old daughter. 

            For a while, the ride was silent and the only noise that could be heard were the sounds of the tires crunching against the crisp snow on the ground. The girl stared out her window, watching nothing in particular really, her eyes glazed over and filled with a sadness even she could not understand. 

            "Fuuko, how do you like it here so far?" Fuuko's mother had decided to pipe in and break the silence as she flipped open the visor mirror and set to do her make-up.

            "I miss my friends," came the curt reply.

            "I'm truly very sorry we had to this, hon, but with your father and his acceptance at one of the top-paying companies in the world, it was simply an offer we couldn't back out of."

            "I understand, mom. We've broached this subject so many times." 

_I'm homesick._

            "Would you have been happier if you stayed back in Japan, Fuuko?" The brows of Fuuko's father were creased with concern and wonder.

            _Mi-chan…_

            "No…can we please drop the subject?" 

_It really hurts._

            Her parents said nothing else after that and the rest of the drive through the maze of neighborhoods was silent. 

**** 

As soon as Mrs. Kayden opened the large doors decorated with large wreaths and ribbons, she wasted no time in ushering them in and offering to take their coats and hang them.

"James, honey, the Kirisawas are here!" she called to her husband, who walked to the little lobby where they were standing, holding a glass of wine. Mr. Kayden wasn't really the social type and he didn't approve much of his wife's always throwing parties, but he always held a soft spot for the Kirisawas' daughter. She was very much like the daughter he never had, and when he had met her during his visit to Japan ten years ago with his wife, he was instantly drawn to the little girl. Mr. Kayden acknowledged the family with a slight nod and headed back into the hallway to the party room. 

 Hugs and kisses were passed among the four before Mrs. Kayden went to embarrassing Fuuko. She enveloped the younger girl in her arms and held her out at arms length to scrutinize her some more. Fuuko just let out a wry smile. 

"Fuuko, look at you! You've grown into such a beautiful woman that I hardly recognized you. What happened to that spunky little 6 year old that I remember during my visit to Japan?"

Fuuko flushed a light pink at all of her gushing.

"Your hair's grown longer, and I just love what you did to your hair, hon. It's so nice." She gently touched one of the little ringlets down the sides of her face as if they were so delicate that if she weren't careful they would ruin. 

"I wanted to try something new, Mrs. Kayden. It's nothing to get excited about." 

"Oh, don't be silly. Of course it is. This is a big deal. I've missed so much of you that when I see yourself now, it's a shock. And oh my, you're wearing make-up."

"Mom."

"I figured. That was always Chika's department." She eyed Mrs. Kirisawa with a grin and turned back to Fuuko. 

It was a simple knee-length rose-colored dress with thin straps, doing well to outline the contours of her body, and matching strappy, shoes. She had never looked nice in anything fancy; it always made her look like a ridiculous doll, but nevertheless she looked exquisite. 

 She couldn't remember the last time she dressed this nice. 

When Mi-chan asked you to go with him to the senior prom… He always admired you…even if you were his kouhai… 

Fuuko's face suddenly turned paler a few notches, and Mrs. Kayden, a worrywart, immediately offered her drinks left and right.

"It's alright, Mrs. Kayden. I'm fine. I think I just need to sit down."

"Well, what are we doing standing here in the foyer anyway? We should go into the living room where the real party is. Come, you can take a seat on the sofa."

The small party made their way to all the noise in the house, indicating the area where all the guests were.    

"There." Mrs. Kayden pointed to the couch in the far right corner of the brightly lit living room. 

"Thank you." 

"You rest up and then have fun, okay? Don't let this night go to waste." Letting out a hearty laugh, she turned her attention to her other guests.

Fuuko dragged her legs across the room and squeezed through the many people to try and get to the other side of the room. When she arrived, she plopped down on the white leather couch and basked in its warmth. The scent of pine from the lavishly decorated tree beside her made her feel light-headed and before she knew it, she felt her eyes tire and soon she was fast asleep.

****

            _The silhouette of two figures could be clearly made out in the now desolate park. The concrete was dark and cold with the tears of the heavens. Sad, gray clouds continually let thick drops of rain pour mercilessly down upon the earth, as if it were crying for the young couple below. No rays of the sun penetrated the skies, just like the situation before the couple held no hope.  _

_            "Gomen nasai, Mi-chan…gomen nasai." The words came out in forced whimpers as tears slid down the curves of the girl's face and plopped on the concrete, mixing with the puddles. _

_            "Fuuko, onegai. What have I done wrong?" He looked intensely at the girl before him, as if by doing so, it would allow this event to end and everything would just go back to normal. The young man gritted his teeth and clenched his fists until he thought his nails would penetrate his palm. _

_            Pressing her eyes closed, she mustered, "It's just not working out. Please forgive me." She waited for him to say something, anything, but he never did. She slowly cast her eyes upward to meet his but he just stood there, unmoving and silent, his head now in the direction of his feet.  _

_            "Mi-chan?"_

_            "I'm sorry too, Fuuko." One last time, he looked into Fuuko's face and stepped forward to maybe touch her silken skin once last time, but she abruptly stepped back at his approach. _

_            "…please don't…" _

_            Tokiya's long silvery bangs hung limply, covering his baby blues, which were wet with tears mixed with the rain. "…gomen, Fuuko…"_

_            "Mi-chan…I…"_

_            "Forget it." Slowly he turned around, not even bothering to open his umbrella, and walked out of the park, leaving Fuuko alone. _

            "…gomen ne…but it would never have been the same…Mi-chan…" She watched as his figure slowly disappeared before dropping to the ground and drowning herself in her own sobs and regret. She didn't care how drenched she got or how sick she would get. She was trembling and shaking uncontrollably as she felt her heart being torn out of her chest and ripped to a million pieces, never to be put back together again. And suddenly the world went black… 

****

            "Fuuko, hon, are you alright?"

            Fuuko awoke to see her parents' and the Kaydens' faces filled with concern and worry. She felt hot and she could feel a few beads of sweat slide down her face. 

            "You were shaking, Fuuko," piped in Mrs. Kayden. 

            She was silent for a moment as she looked at the faces looming over her. 

            "…Yeah…it was a nightmare. I'm sorry if I made any of you worry." 

            "That's a relief. We thought you were running a fever." 

            "Oh mom." She was annoyed at her mother's constant fretting about her, but she decided that it was all out of love and concern and she smiled. 

            "Well, everyone else has gone well over an hour ago, so I guess this would be our cue to leave." Fuuko's dad tapped his watch and the others nodded. 

            "You make sure to stop by more often, all right?" Mrs. Kayden stood by her husband and clasped her hands together. Sometimes, you would never think that she was a grown woman. You really wouldn't. 

            "We'll remember that," replied Mrs. Kirisawa.

            They all walked to the front door as Fuuko put on her coat. 

            "Take care, Fuuko." Mr. Kayden threw her a grin as he patted her on the shoulder. 

            "Thanks Mr. Kayden. I will."

            A chorus of good-byes were sent across the snow-covered lawn as Fuuko and her parents headed to their car. The wind had definitely picked up and was now as harsh and caustic as ever. Rain was evident in the ominous thick clouds above, and soon enough a few sprinkles of water were dripping down. A bad feeling made itself present in Fuuko's gut as she climbed in the car, but she let it pass, thinking that it had something to do with her dream. 

            Mr. Kirisawa drove down the twisting elevated trail that led to the Kaydens mansion as cautiously and slowly as it was possible for him for by the time they were halfway down, the rain was pouring down furiously, and it was hard to see clearly. All was silent except the cacophonous drumming of the rain on the roof of the car. Mr. Kirisawa was concentrating on his driving and Mrs. Kirisawa was already curled up in the front seat, fast asleep. Fuuko, all the while, just kept staring out in front of her, the dreaded feeling from earlier growing bigger and bigger. The next thing she knew, she felt the car swerve sharply around one of the curves going down the twisty mountain. At that moment, everything else was blocked out as she heard her own screech of sheer terror match the squealing of the tires on the concrete before she felt herself falling into a dark bottomless pit of oblivion.

****

            "Merry Christmas, minna!" The small spiky-haired boy let out a happy cheer in honor of the winter holiday as he caught a young blonde girl by the crook of the neck and tickled her.

            "Let go, Kaoru nii-chan," the little girl, Ganko, wailed in between fits of laughter.

            "Oh my. They're flirting at such a young age," commented Yanagi teasingly as she picked up scraps of wrapping paper and ribbons scattered on the ground from the opening of presents earlier. 

            Kaoru blushed and abruptly let the girl go as he heard the sweet voice of Yanagi Sakoshita chime in. 

            An older-looking version of Kaoru, though probably was at the same level of maturity as the boy, wrapped his arms around Yanagi and planted a feathery-light kiss on her cheek.  

            "Merry Christmas, Yanagi-chan." 

            Yanagi just blushed as Domon, a very tall and very large man, let out a howl. 

            "Yo. Get a room, you two," he snickered, Kaoru and Ganko piping in. Recca and Yanagi let go of each other and cast their eyes downward, their faces blushing hotly.

            "Hey guys, who wants hot chocolate and cake?" The sweet singsong voice of Mifuyu tinkled from the kitchen and in no time, the entire group of friends met in the kitchen and grabbed platefuls of cake and cups of hot chocolate, bringing them back out to the living room by the fireplace. 

            When they were assembled in comfortable positions on the floor, they engaged in their own little activities or conversations. Recca was paying heap loads of attention to his girlfriend, Yanagi; Domon was engaged in a cake-eating contest with the two children; Mifuyu sat silently next to her brother, who hadn't said much of anything the entire day.

            "Tokiya, what's the matter?"

            "Huh?" The silver-haired boy turned his head up to look into the eyes of his sister who was seated comfortably on the arm of the chair he was sitting on, enjoying her cake. 

            "You haven't said anything this whole night. It's supposed to be a time of cheer. So why the gloomy face?"

            "…I don't know…I just have a bad feeling…"

            "Penny for your thoughts?"

            "No. It's okay."

            She gave him a sour look before softening and shrugging. "Okay. Suit yourself, but remember that I'm here in case you need to talk to me, okay?"

            "Thanks, nee-chan."

            She squeezed his shoulder before hopping off of the chair and heading back into the kitchen for another slice, while the rest of the gang enjoyed the rest of the Christmas night. Tokiya just concentrated his light blue eyes outside the window where the puffs of snow were dancing gracefully downwards onto the pillows of white on the ground, not being able to shake away the sick feeling in his gut that something was definitely out of place. 

****

            "I demand that you let me see her this instant!" came the shrill demand of Mrs. Kayden.

            As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Kayden heard of the accident, they rushed down to the hospital, worry most evident on their usually calm faces. Mrs. Kayden took it the worst as the medics, who tended to the accident, informed the couple about everything that had happened. 

            The Kirisawas had skidded on black ice as they went down the mountain and, unfortunately, Mr. Kirisawa no longer had control over his black SUV as it spun in circles and crashed through the barricade of the cliff, sliding down the mountain and violently crashing into a giant pine. At that point, tears were already rolling down Mrs. Kayden's face uncontrollably, but after she heard of the devastating fate of Mr. and Mrs. Kirisawa, she was already fighting the nurse to get into the room where Fuuko was. 

            "No, I'm sorry, but she is in critical condition right now and shouldn't be bothered. It's the doctor's orders." The nurse was trying to hold back the now hysterical Mrs. Kayden. 

            "James, do something! Tell them to let me through!! I want to see Fuuko! The poor child." She began to tremble and fell to her knees, not caring about the spectacle she was creating for others to see. 

            Mr. Kayden crouched down and picked up his sobbing wife and carried her over to the waiting room and tried to calm her down, but she just bawled harder. 

            "Let's just wait, alright? We'll stay here and wait until the doctor says we can see her." He hushed her and stroked her back all the while, trying to comfort her, while trying to tell himself that everything would be fine at the same time. 

            _God, please let Fuuko be alright…please…_

****

            Fuuko awoke in a state of confusion, her head throbbing with excruciating pain. She shut her eyes tightly and tried to make the pain go away, but it didn't work. Clutching onto the bed-sheets, she slowly brought herself to a sitting position and wearily looked about her surroundings. It was a blur and the more she tried to concentrate, the more her head banged. 

"…where am…where am I…" came her voice, drained of its usual gusto. 

            "Doctor! She's awake." A woman fully clad in white abruptly stood from her seated position and ran out of the room.

            Fuuko looked about her and found herself in a white-walled, musty-smelling box. Darkness engulfed the room except for the lone lamp on the far corner of the square room, and that didn't really help to brighten the room. She raised her right hand to massage her temples and found that she couldn't really move it. Shifting her gaze to her arm, she found that two different tubes were connected to her arm by needles, and all of a sudden she felt nauseated. Just before she felt like vomiting something out, she noticed the door open and a tall man in a white robe and glasses walked in accompanied by the white lady that just rushed out.

            "So I see you're awake. You've been through a lot, kiddo." He let out a sigh as he stood beside the bed Fuuko was on and pulled up a chair to sit on, a clipboard on his lap. He kept silent and just watched her, waiting for a while before gathering in some air and talking.

            "Tell me, child, do you remember who you are?"

            Fuuko looked at the stranger as if he were crazy. "Of course I know who I am! What kind of a question is that?"

            The doctor reclined in his seat and made himself more comfortable but made sure to keep a steady gaze on his patient. "Alright then. Would you care to tell me your name?"

            "Of course. It's…" Fuuko suddenly felt herself at a loss for words. What was her name? She could not remember. "Hold on. I know this. I mean, how can I not know my name, right?" The longer it took her to reply the doctor's question, the more scared she became. 

            Fuuko let out a laugh, but the doctor knew she was trying to cover up her fear. "Well, what do you know? I don't know my name after all." Her voice came out in a shaky whisper. Fuuko stared down at her hands, her left arm bandaged from the shoulder down to the wrist. 

            The doctor said nothing as he watched the girl with sympathy in his eyes. He silently stood up and walked out the door, quietly instructing the nurse to stay and watch the girl while he talked to the couple waiting outside. 

****

            "What do you mean she has amnesia!?" Mrs. Kayden was shrieking at the top of her lungs, about ready to pounce on the doctor, her eyes blood-shot from 12 straight hours of crying. 

            "Dear, calm down. We should be thankful that she's alive." Mr. Kayden tried to restrain his wife from doing damage to the doctor's head. As he felt her relax beneath his hold, he slowly let her go and proceeded to talk to the doctor in a more civilized manner. 

            "I'm sorry about my wife, doctor."

            "It's quite alright. I've seen worse." 

            "Hmm…may I inquire how long this amnesia will last?"

            "That's not something I can accurately determine, but if it is at the least bit possible for her to regain her memory, I do know how that can be done."

            "How?"

            "She needs to go back home, to Japan. That is her native land, correct?"

"Yes. She and her family just moved here a month ago." 

"She has no memories here. It will be very difficult for her to live here under her present condition. She will have a better chance of remembering bits and pieces, if any, of her past if she returns. Do you know of any relatives she can stay with?" 

            "Actually, yes, we do." 

            "Are you insane!?" Mrs. Kayden, who had been silent and listening bitterly to the conversation, finally spoke up. "When she remembers what happened tonight, she'll be heart-broken!"

            "That may be the case, Mrs. Kayden, but it would be better for her to remember a life before this accident than start over now. Right now, she's lost and she doesn't know what to do." 

            "She can stay with us! What good would it do if she went to stay with her relatives? It would all be the same if she were staying with us. And many others have gone through what she has, not remembering anything and have done well with what little they knew."

            "I believe she does have a point, doctor," Mr. Kayden said, after listening to his wife's outburst.

            "I agree. If she does regain her memory and remember tonight, she will be stricken with grief, but there may be some things that she will remember that will make her happy. From what I know, memories are a human's most treasured possession, Mr. and Mrs. Kayden." 

The doctor scribbled something down on one of the papers on his clipboard as Mrs. Kayden pulled Mr. Kayden aside to talk.  

"Doctor," Mr. Kayden cleared his throat a few minutes later, "is it alright if we go and see Fuuko?"

The doctor looked up from his scribbling and nodded, motioning the couple to follow him. 

****

Fuuko averted her gaze from her palms to the opening door and gazed at the doctor and the two newcomers. She felt numb and just continued to look on and watched as the man and woman looked at her with wide, pained eyes. 

Why are they looking at me like that? 

She watched as the woman clung to the man tightly just a few moments after she entered the room. She was crying. 

_Why is she crying?_

And the man, his eyes were glazed over as he hugged the woman tighter, whose sobbing had now turned into agonizing cries. As she scrutinized the man some more, a sudden, strange feeling washed over her, and she felt liquid trailing down her face. It was an alien feeling, as if she had never cried before. Slowly, she raised her bandaged arm to her face and let her hand brush lightly against the quicksilver that had fallen from her eyes. 

Why am I crying? 

** Final Notes **

Geez! I really hate it when some of chapters get a little too long because it makes the really short ones seem kinda cruddy. . Oh welpz. That's the price I pay for being overly descriptive. I'm really going to chop off some of my fingers to slower my typing pace therefore I'll be forced to cut down on the words. Grrr!! 

But anyway, I know that Fuuko is way beyond OOC. Gomen, gomen. *bows a bazillion times* I didn't mean to. No wait, actually I did. *bangs her head on her keyboard* This is not working out. Don't worry. She'll be all genki and sharp-tongued again. I pwomise. And damn it! Toki-chan is all messed up too~!!!! I'll try and fix that. I really will…err…if it's possible. Hey, at least everyone else is still in character, ne? ^-^;;

And finally, yes, Fuuko's hair is long. And I'm gonna cut it off! Muahahaha~!! Just cuz I'm evil and all! *evil cackle* Err…but really…I'll have it chopped it off and back to like her normal short hairstyle. Geez! This is hard. Really. *sigh* Anyway, comments, criticisms, and flames are welcome. And of course, RnH doesn't belong to me, although I'd really love to own Toki-chan. Nyahahaha!! Too bad it's not gonna happen in this lifetime…or the next. Damn it! Oh well. Okay, well, that's it for my ramblings. I wuff you, buh-bye. ^-^!!


	2. Chapter 2

**** Finding You ****

-- Author Notes --

Wow! I feel proud of myself. I actually updated. ^0^!! I usually never update after the first chapter. *sweatdrop* But I actually like where this is going. *-*!! That's another wow! I never like where my fics go. *sweatdrop* And again, much thanks to J-anne. Without your sick, delusional mind, I wouldn't be as far as I am now on this fic. *-*!! *glomp*

But anyway, sorry again for characters being OOC, specifically Toki-chan and Fuuko-chan. Gomen ne. *bows profusely* Forgive my mental illness. It is, unfortunately, a disease that cannot be fixed. Huhuhuhu…

This chapter is, I think, less sappy than the previous one. I was listening to something deeper, not anything corny. Say, "Deliver Me". I'm going to dispose of all my CD's. They're not good for the health system. They make you do stupid things, namely sitting your ass down on a swivel chair and writing until you have arthritis or something. *sweatdrop* Never mind. I'll just let you read now. 

****

"Fuuko-chan! Over here!" 

            Fuuko looked in the direction of the voice that just called out to her. 

            _That's my name isn't it? Fuuko? _

_…Or at least that's what I've been told…_

"Fuuko-chan!" Running towards her was a very happy girl with shoulder-length sky-blue tresses kept by a white headband and hazy blue eyes. "Fuuko-chan," the girl was panting by the time she stood beside her.

"Hey, girl. Long time no see." 

Fuuko just stared at her, not knowing what to say. She had been told her cousin, a girl about her age with sky-blue hair, would meet her at the terminal, but this girl seemed like a stranger. 

"Fuuko-chan?"

"…gomen nasai…"

"Oh, Fuuko-chan. I totally forgot." The girl pursed her lips and looked down at her sandaled feet. Her cousin had amnesia and had no clue who she was. She had been instructed not to act too forward because it may be a disturbance to Fuuko's psyche, but she had completely forgotten. It had been a long time since she saw Fuuko, and this was usually what her common reaction would be. Right at that moment, she felt like slapping herself, but refrained from doing so and tried to approach Fuuko once more. 

"Fuuko. It's me, Mai." 

Fuuko gave her a small nod. 

"Well, my car's parked in the garage. We should go then, ne?"

Fuuko just let out another nod and allowed the other girl to grab half of her bags and then followed in suite. 

****

"Anou…Mai-san?"

Mai, who had been concentrating on her driving for the last 20 or so minutes from the airport, was caught off guard by her cousin's sudden breaking the silence. She averted her gaze from the road in front of her to Fuuko for a brief second before answering. 

"Hai?"

"Do you know where my old house is? I've been told I used to live here before I moved to the U.S."

"Yeah, I do. It's not too far from my house, actually. Do you wanna stop by there?"

"Could we?" Her voice sounded so meek that Mai could have mistaken her for someone other than her dear cousin.

"Uhh…sure." Mai turned off of the main road and made a u-turn to go back a few blocks and entering a different district. 

****

"How do you think Fuuko is doing? Should we call now to check up on her? According to my time, she should already be there." Mrs. Kayden was pacing back and forth in front of the counter in the kitchen while her husband was cooking up dinner. 

"Whoa, calm down, hon. Let her at least settle down."

"But James…" 

"Look, I promise we'll call her. Just give her a couple days to get comfortable and give yourself a couple of days to relax. You look terrible. The woman that I'm looking at right now is definitely not my wife, and I want her back."

Mrs. Kayden sighed and let out a smile. 

"I suppose you're right, but two days. I'll give it two days, and then I'm going to call whether you like it or not, and you will not stop me." 

"Alright. I won't. Now stop blabbering and help me with the cooking? It's not usually me doing the kitchen duties you know."

Mrs. Kayden let out a genuine laugh, one that Mr. Kayden hadn't heard since the party about two weeks ago. He smiled at the notion and watched his wife's deft hands mince the onions and carrots. 

****

"Oh Fuuko…" Mrs. Kayden wept into her husband's chest as she watched the confused look on Fuuko's face contort into one of pain. Her husband said nothing but just held her tightly as he, too, continued to look at the girl on the hospital bed. 

That was not the Fuuko that they had seen 12 hours ago. Her lovely tended hair that Mrs. Kayden had praised then was now nothing more but unattractive tangles. Her makeup had been smeared off and was replaced by small cuts and bruises on her cheeks. Round the top of her head were layers of white bandages, and they did not end there. On her left arm snaked even more bandages to hide the long and deep gash on her arm, and on her right were but a few patches of them to hide the needles penetrating her skin. The dress she had worn, was sitting neatly on one of the few chairs of the room but up close, one would be able to see all of the soot, blood and tears in them. This Fuuko staring at them was definitely not the Fuuko that they had seen at their home 12 hours ago. 

_"Mr. and Mrs. Kayden, we want Fuuko to stay another four to five days, just to let her recuperate some, and then we'll allow you to take her home. Have you decided whether or not you want her to go back to Japan?"_

_"We're going to take your advice and send her back…"_

_"But if things don't go right at all, I'll be the one to personally rescrew your head, doctor!" came Mrs. Kayden's threat. _

_"Garnet! Please!" Mr. Kayden tried to wipe away the mortified look on his face as he turned back to the doctor. "It looks as if it should be my wife on that hospital bed. I'm terribly sorry about her attitude. She's usually unlike this." _

"That's understandable, Mr. Kayden. Oh, and before I forget. Please remind whoever it is that she will be staying with to refrain from sudden and surprising interactions. She should get used to them first before anything else, as is will be the case with you and Mrs. Kayden when she goes home with you."   "Thank you, doctor." 

            __

****

Sitting on the dresser chair, Fuuko intently gazed at her reflection in the mirror of her new room. 

Who are you? 

Fuuko noted that whoever was on the other side of that mirror had very sad, cobalt eyes that seemed quite lost and afraid. Whoever it was had soft-cream colored skin before she received all of those cuts and bruises that her clothes did so much to hide; whoever it was used to have lush pink lips before it, too, was inflicted with a few cuts. They didn't look as bad as they had when she had gotten to the Kaydens from that wretched hospital, but that didn't matter to her. How could it, when she couldn't even remember the real her.

Is that who I am? Why do I look so…so sad? 

A mop of silky pink-purple tresses cascaded down her shoulders and back. As she looked down at her clasped hands on her lap, she noticed the bandage that was woven around her hand. She knew the rest climbed up her arm to her shoulder. When she had taken it off the very first time to get it changed, she nearly vomited. It wasn't exactly the most beautiful thing to see on the face of the planet. It really wasn't, but it's been healing, thank God. 

It's still there.

She cautiously untangled her fingers and brought her bandaged hand to her face and delicately ran her slender fingers down her cheekbones before gently curling her fingers once around a chunk of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. She took one last glance at the girl in the mirror and couldn't miss the glint forming in her eyes. 

Why am I crying? 

I've been doing it a lot lately…

But why?

I have nothing to cry about…

…I don't even remember…

            Fuuko let her arms slide down onto the wooden dresser table and placed her head into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably, at the same time wondering why her heart wrenched as bad as it did. 

****

Mai and her mother, a shorter and stouter version of Mai, were working in silence, busily preparing the evening meal. Everything was silent except for the sound of steam whistling from the pots on the stove and the sound of a knife coming in contact with the chopping board. 

Mai's mother wasn't at all surprised at the distance in her niece's persona. In fact, she had been expecting it. It just really tore at her insides to see the young girl in such a disturbing state. She looked almost unwilling when she first stepped into their abode; she looked lost. 

Fuuko had not been more than seven hours with them, and she had only seen the girl once, and that was when she had entered their home and thanked the older woman for allowing her to live with them. After that, she ushered Mai to help Fuuko to her new room, and she hadn't seen her since then.   

Usually, her niece would be in full spirits and would have no problem raiding their fridge. Mai's mother pitied the poor child, sincerely wishing that she didn't have to go through all of this, but when fate decides to do something and makes it final, there's no undoing it. 

"Kaa-chan, do you think the old Fuuko will ever come back?"

"It all depends, Mai. We'll just have to be patient and see."

"It hurts me to see her like that. She looks so vulnerable." She felt her eyes begin to sting as tears formed. She tried in vain from letting them fall. 

"Oh damn these stupid onions!"

"Mai!"

"Oops. Gomen ne, Kaa-chan." 

            Mai's mother just sighed and shook her head disapprovingly at her daughter.

            "Look, dinner probably won't be for another hour or so. Why don't you go and take Fuuko with you to Shibuya or something? If she declines, then go and do whatever you teenagers these days like to do in your spare time. You have an hour to kill." 

            "Are you kicking me out of the kitchen?"

            "Mai, there are times when I know I irritate you because I won't give you the time of day and let you out of this kitchen, but when I finally do, you dare to question me?"

            Mai gave her mother a sheepish smile before trotting out of the room. 

            "Arigatou, Kaa-chan."

            "Teenagers," she breathed, amusement seeping into her face.

****

            "Hey, I'm really glad that you decided to come. Shibuya's a great place." 

            Fuuko continued to look out the window and watch the city lights pass her by. 

            Mai frowned momentarily at her cousin's constant lack of conversation, but when she took into consideration her current state, she began to think otherwise. She was thankful that at least Fuuko did accept her offer to go to Shibuya with her. 

            At first Mai had been skeptical. Her mind was pretty set that Fuuko would decline. She had found Fuuko in her new room sitting in front of the dresser table, her head buried in her arms, asleep. Just looking at her cousin's form made her slowly back out of the room, but just as she moved to slide the door close, she heard Fuuko stir and call out to her, asking what she needed. Mai was never the quietest of all beings on the face of the planet.

            Her eyes had been a little puffy when she looked up at Mai, but that wasn't anything cold water couldn't fix, right? So Mai giddily grabbed the startled Fuuko up from the chair and shoved her into the bathroom so maybe she could fix herself up a bit. 

            Mai's mother, on the other hand, was just happy to see her niece out of the house and going some place. Having Fuuko cooped up in the house wasn't exactly what she wanted her niece to do the entire time she would be living with them. Maybe Mai could get her to open up again. She did have a knack for annoying the hell out of people until they finally did what she intended on having them do, and which in most cases she would get verbally killed right after.

            "We'll go stop by for ice cream okay? I know January isn't exactly the best time to be eating ice cream, especially when it's already cold out, but nobody can ever turn down cold sweets, ne?"

            The only sign that Fuuko gave Mai to indicate that she was still alive was a slight nod and a dusting of the sleeve of her white fleece sweater.

            Mai sighed resignedly. Getting Fuuko to talk and actually carry out a normal people conversation was going to be harder than she thought. She stepped on the gas and accelerated, passing up more of the cars on the freeway. The sooner they get to Shibuya, the better.

****

            They entered the automatic sliding doors that led to the inside of the shopping district and were met with thousands of other teenagers, literally. It must have been the official teenage hangout for all of Japan. In other words, Mai's heaven.

            "So you wanna hit the ice cream first or do you wanna take a look around?"

            "It doesn't matter. I'll just follow you." 

            "Oh come on, Fuuko. I brought you here so that you could kind of tour. Do you have any place of interest?"

            "Ice cream sounds good," she replied dryly.

            "Okay. Ice cream it is then."

            As soon as they entered the ice cream parlor, Mai pointed out a table near the store window by the door.

            "You wanna get the seats while I buy the ice cream?"

            "Uh-huh."

            "Any flavors in mind?"

            "Right now, anything sounds good."

            Mai mentally slapped herself. Fuuko doesn't remember her favorite flavor. Boy, being cousins sure did have its advantages. Being close, they used to do tons of things together, one being pigging out on ice cream. Usually Fuuko would always get cookies n' cream, so she decided on that and she'd just get herself a mocha-flavored one. 

            Fuuko lazily stared out the glass partition that separated the inside of the store to the rest of the shopping mall, one arm propped on the table as she placed her head against it. Her thoughts were still blank but her heart ached with a sadness she couldn't comprehend. Despite her wanting to cry, nothing came out. Her tears were spent, and there were no more to be produced. 

            She turned her head to look at where Mai was standing at the other side of the room. She was a very eccentric person but very kind. She tried so desperately to have her talk, and she was really the only friend she had right now. Fuuko began to wonder if the old her was anything like Mai. That she did not have the answer to.  

            Before she could delve into her thoughts some more, the sound of the bell above the doorway to the store chimed softly to announce the arrival of yet more customers. Out of human curiosity, she looked up to see who it was. A tall boy with long, silver locks and pale baby blues followed by a younger boy with spiky hair were shoved unceremoniously into the store by a soft-faced girl with hazel eyes.  

            "Mifuyu-chan!! Do you mind? I have an image to protect." The smaller, spiky-haired boy straightened out his shirt and looked about pretending that nothing had happened and walked casually up to the counter. 

            "Gomen nasai, Kaoru," she giggled and pushed the taller boy along. "Come on, Tokiya-chan. I know you want ice cream too." 

            "Onii-chan!! Please!" The girl, known as Mifuyu, just laughed as she continued to embarrass her brother. 

            Fuuko's eyes never left the one called "Tokiya". There was something about him that triggered a nerve in her somewhere as soon as she laid her eyes upon him. Just seeing him made her heart ache but at the same time skip a beat. Why, she didn't know.

            _Tokiya…_

_            Why so familiar…_

That thought was soon pushed away when she heard Mai plop down onto the chair opposite her. 

"Did you miss me?"

Fuuko just raised an eyebrow and threw a weird look at Mai, who welcomed it with a laugh.

"Oh, Fuuko. I was just joking around. Here." 

She shoved Fuuko's sugar cone in front of her face. 

"I didn't know if you wanted single or double scoop, so I just settled with a double for you. You can always just throw it away if you can't finish it."   

"Thanks." 

Both girls sat in a silence that Mai was trying so desperately hard to endure. It was kind of hard to carry on a conversation when the person you were trying to talk to couldn't remember anything. There would be nothing to talk about for her. Nothing much, anyway, but Mai was desperate, so she'd have to settle with what little she had. 

She was surprised to hear Fuuko's voice break through the silence though. 

"Mai-chan, what was I like?"

"Nani desu?" Mai looked up momentarily from licking her ice cream.

"I mean, what was the old me like?"

Mai was taken aback at the question. Was Fuuko supposed to be asking questions like this? And more importantly was she supposed to be answering them? She was told she couldn't be too forward and bombard poor Fuuko with too many of the things in her past all at once, but one look at her cousin's almost pleading eyes, she could do nothing but give in to her unsaid pleas. 

"Well," she began, "for one, you smiled a lot." 

A wry smile tugged at Fuuko's lips, but she sighed, urging Mai to continue.  

"You talked more, too. No. That's an understatement. You were a human chatterbox. We had to tape your mouth shut to keep you quiet, literally too."

"So different now, ne?"

Mai frowned.

"The old you will come back. I'm sure of it. We'll just give it some time, ne?"

Fuuko only nodded, skepticism written clearly across her face.

"Oh Kami-sama! Please tell me we're not back to the whole nodding business again. Only heaven knows how greatly you've tortured me today with that simple gesture."

Fuuko blinked several times before catching on to Mai's teasing and she stuck her tongue out at the blue-haired girl. 

"There! See? The old Fuuko is coming back." 

Mai began to laugh and Fuuko couldn't help but join in along with her. And Fuuko had to admit that it felt so good to laugh. At first, the action seemed alien, but as she let herself just drown in its contagion, she finally felt the warmth emanated from it. 

"Oops."

"Nani ga?"

"Fuuko, do you wanna be a darling and get some tissues. They're right by the counter. I think I lost my snack." 

Fuuko rolled her eyes good-naturedly before pushing back her seat and walking up to the counter, ice cream in hand. 

Reaching out her hand over the counter to grab a handful of napkins, she felt someone else's hand come in contact with her own. Startled she pulled her hand back, as did the stranger.

"Gomen ne. I wasn't paying…"

            Glancing up, her eyes locked with the shocked pair of baby-blues of the young man who had befuddled both her psyche and heart. 

            Just as Tokiya was about to get another word or two in, he was cut off by Mai, who had walked up and over from her seat. 

            "What's taking you so long, Fuuko? They're just…" At the sight of Tokiya, she felt her stomach go ill. He doesn't know…

            Would it be all right to introduce these two once more and say, "Oh Fuuko, here. I'd like you to meet your old boyfriend that you dumped, and Tokiya, well this is Fuuko and she has amnesia. You two can get along rather quaint now, ne?" Yeah right! She needed a way to get Fuuko out of the scene so she could talk to Tokiya alone without arousing Fuuko's suspicion. 

            As if on cue, Kaoru dashed on over to Tokiya whining all the while.

            "Tokiya-kun! Where are the napkins? All the ice cream's dripping down my hand." The boy, not being very careful, tripped over his own feet and sent the ice cream flying and landing in a clump of goop on Fuuko's sweater.

            Fuuko still looked gone before her head decided to clear up, her hands now fingering the stains on her attire. 

            "Fuuko-chan! Your sweater!" Mai grabbed a handful of napkins from the counter and handed them to Fuuko, while Tokiya scolded the younger boy for his clumsiness. 

            "Why don't you get cleaned up in the bathroom? I'll take care of my own mess." Mai ushered her off and made sure Fuuko had gone in before reverting her attention to Tokiya. 

            "Tokiya-kun. We need to talk." She looked down at the smaller boy and added, "Alone." 

            "Geez. I can take a hint. I know when I'm not wanted." Sourly, Kaoru turned and trotted his way back to the table where Mifuyu was sitting and paying an unusual amount of attention to her ice cream.

            "Arigatou, Kaoru-kun," she called to his retreating back before looking back at Tokiya.

            "So? What do you have to say that's so important that you had to get rid of the small fry?"

            "Fuuko."

            "Fuuko?"

            "Hai." She took in a deep breath before resuming her talk in the hopes that whatever she intended to say would come out the way she wanted it to. "Look, Tokiya. You can't be too forward with Fuuko. She's not the same Fuuko you knew two months ago." 

            "Run that by me one more time." 

            Mai bit her lip and looked up at Tokiya hesitantly. Her mind was debating whether or not she should tell him or not, the final conclusion being the former.

            "Fuuko and her parents got into a car accident in the U.S. A really bad accident. Her parents…" She looked down dejectedly, and Tokiya took the hint.

            "I understand, Mai-mai." 

            "I feel really bad for Fuuko. And what's worse is that she can't even remember. She was lucky to come out of the accident alive, but at the cost of her memory." 

            "Fuuko…" 

            "Yeah, Fuuko." Mai let out a sigh and looked back up at Tokiya who was staring blankly at the door that led to the women's bathroom. "It's best if you just don't tell her of your past relationship until she's really ready…if she ever will be. It might be better if you just back off for a while, ne?" 

            When he didn't say anything, Mai took it as a sign that he did understand but he didn't want to grasp that fact. 

            "Ne, Tokiya-kun, Fuuko will be okay."

            His response was a just a slow nod to indicate that he heard her, although it looked as if his mind was somewhere far, far off.

            "What is it with the people I meet today and nodding? It's really starting to tick me off. This must be some kind of twisted work formulated by people who want to go against me." 

            "Nani? Are you feeling okay, Mai-mai?" He raised an eyebrow and looked at her as if she were crazy.

            "Never mind," she breathed, rolling her eyes. 

            "Whatever, then. I'll see you around." He turned and headed back to his table with his sister and Kaoru, all the while Mai looking at him with a heavy heart.

            "Gomen nasai…Tokiya-kun." 

** Final Notes **

            Okay, so maybe this chapter isn't as good as the first one. It sounded kind of broken, ne? ^-^;; *sigh* Gomen. I'll try to make the following chapter better. *groan* Highly unlikely, but I'll give it my best shot. 

            And about Fuuko's hair. Hehe. I was gonna get her hair cut in this chapter, but you know what? I kind of didn't want to anymore. Maybe I will…later. *sweatdrop*

            And of course, disclaimers. All characters belong to me. Nyahahahahaha. I'm kidding. Don't sue me. I only have uhh, twenty bucks. ^-^;; RnH characters belong to Anzai Nobuyuki-sama, including my beloved Toki-chan, unfortunately. Huhuhuhu…  But James, Garnet, Mai-mai, and Mai's mother (the eccentric people) are orig characters and belong to me. Yeah, they have my copyright stamped on the butts. Go and check if you like. Kidding. *sweatdrop* Well, that's it. I wuff you, buh-bye!!


	3. Chapter 3

**** Finding You ****

== Author Notes ==

            Yes! I am still alive and well, much to the disappointment of the many sane people in the living world. Sorry for the late update. I meant to update this thing sometime last week, but I just never got the chance to do it. I seemed to be getting some case of writer's block. *sweatdrop*

            Anyway, thank you all for the kind reviews. ^-^ Deeply appreciated, I assure you, but the mastermind behind the whole concept of this fic is really J-anne. I wuff you so much. You have no idea how much of a help your constant dictating and nagging is to me. *sweatdrop* 

            And last, I believe that I should warn you, for it may be in your best interest, that there is some rather sick humor here pertaining to Toki-chan. Huhuhuhu… I didn't know how else to divert attention, therefore… Well, I don't really want to give anything away. So, I suppose I'll stop there. 

And no, I had no music to spur my mind into writing. My stereo's been taken. Well, actually, it's been borrowed. But it's all still the same. It's gone. So I'm really (beyond words) so very sorry if this chapter is a piece of horse crap. *sweatdrop*

****

            _…Fuuko…_

            Not bothering to switch on his light, Tokiya unbuttoned his shirt and carelessly draped it over the swivel chair that sat in the farther corner of his bedroom, letting the night air that drifted in through the open window cool his lean form. Sniffing in the clean air, he made his way to his bed and fell back on it in pure exhaustion.

            He had walked around Shibuya for the last two hours with Mifuyu and Kaoru with nothing but a big headache and an image of a certain purple-haired girl who had once taken his breath away, and even more so now. 

It was more than just a surprise to see the girl who had supposedly left him and all of Japan for a new life in the U.S. So many different emotions had attacked him as he saw that same girl once again standing before him at the ice cream parlor, and he had wanted more than anything to pull her aside and talk to her, but that hadn't happened. Upon seeing him, Mai had immediately gone straight to the point.__

            _You should just back off for a while, ne Tokiya?_

            Something in what the blue-haired bopper had said triggered a nerve within him. What she said hurt. It was a fact that he had missed her while she was away, but it wasn't until now that he realized the true measure of how much Fuuko meant to him and how miserable he had been inside for the two months that she had been away. 

            Fuuko had left…and with her, she had taken his heart. 

When she had decided to call it quits with him just weeks before her leave, he just couldn't understand why, but he didn't dare to approach her on the subject any further. 

Was it something he did? Was it the way he had treated her? Didn't he give her all the attention and care that any guy could ever give to his girlfriend? And what was up with her having amnesia? 

            Tokiya would have allowed his mind to continue its musing had his sister not knocked on his door to announce dinner was ready. 

            "I'll be right down, nii-chan. Just gotta change."

            "Hai."  

            Tokiya stood up and lazily dragged his feet across the carpeted floor to his closet, his mind now completely devoid of his previous thoughts. 

****

             Fuuko looked about her and saw nothing but darkness that seemed to stretch out forever. She walked this way and that, but seemed to go nowhere as if she were walking on a conveyer belt that was going in the opposite direction. It wasn't long when she heard the distant voice of a woman calling out to her. Though she didn't know whom the voice belonged to, it sounded very familiar as the voice continued to call out to her.  

            Fuuko…

            Shaking her head, she broke into a run in the direction of the woman's voice. 

            _It sounds so familiar…_

            The darkness began to spin in mad circles around her and Fuuko's knees began to give way as she felt herself go weak. It was only for a moment after she felt herself collide with the ground when she felt ice-cold drops of water splash against her body. The world seemed a blur to Fuuko and her head ached with confusion. 

            Carefully turning her head behind her, she recognized the large house of Mr. and Mrs. Kayden that stood in the darkness. It looked exactly the same as she had seen it last, but how she got to be on the land that it stood was beyond her. 

            "Fuuko, dear, what are you doing standing over there? Come, your parents are waiting for you."

            Fuuko's confusion threatened to do massive mental damages to her head when she heard Mrs. Kayden's voice call out to her from the front of the house. 

            "Hurry, dear. You'll only catch a cold standing out in this rain."

            Her voice sounded distant now and it seemed as if she and her husband were disappearing along with the house. Fuuko slowly brought herself to stand and trudged towards a black SUV. She was no longer controlling her body, or so it felt that way. Climbing into the back of the car, she mumbled some words that even she, though she was the one speaking, could not understand. The two shadows that sat in the front of the car only nodded and the driver backed up and began to drive down the winding mountain. The rain was merciless as it sent down waves upon waves of water. 

            Fuuko's senses slowly, and ever so slowly, returned to her and she felt a cold shiver run down her spine, and in the instant that she felt it, she was deafened by her own screams as the car skidded and tumbled down the wet pavement of the mountain. 

            Fuuko bolted up in bed to find herself in a cold sweat. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she felt every inch of her body ache with a mysterious pain. She shut her eyes tight to keep from crying out, but instead of seeing nothing as she had wished, the last parts of her dream began to replay itself in her mind. The image was clear and the feeling was fresh, and she felt as if she were still drowning in the nightmare. 

            Slowly climbing out of bed, Fuuko made every care to quietly tiptoe down to the kitchen to get herself something to drink. Maybe that would help to clear up her disillusioned mind. 

            It was almost 3 in the morning when she had looked at the red flashing lights of the digital clock on her bedside table. She didn't want to go back to sleep. The last thing she wanted was to be damned with more nightmares – she was afraid.

            With a trembling hand, she carefully trudged into the living room, a glass of ice-cold water in one hand, and with the other she flicked the light switch on. 

            She squinted at the sudden change in brightness of the room and looked about in search of something she could busy herself with. There was really nothing there except the furniture and the stereo and the television set. 

Fuuko really had no wish to listen to anything nor watch anything. Besides she did not want to wake her aunt or her cousin, especially after they had bestowed upon her nothing but kindness. The last thing she could do was be rude to them by making a ruckus or bothering them in their own home. So music and television was definitely out of the question. She was about to turn and head up the stairs when a large mass of books occupying a shiny, black bookshelf caught her eye. Stories – for some reason or other, she found herself in need of a story with a happy ending. 

            She vaguely recalled someone reading her stories before going to bed, but it seemed very shadowy in her memory, and she didn't bother to approach that further. It would only add to the already throbbing pain in her head.  

            Taking her free index finger, she slowly ran it across every one of the books on one of the rows of the shelf until it stopped, it seemed, on its own accord upon one of the books. She timidly slid it out of the bookcase and brought it over to the couch where she plopped herself down and made herself comfortable.

            She didn't ever remember being the type that was a sucker for romance novels, but there was something about the main character that drew her to the book. 

            The protagonist was a soldier who was engaged to a woman in his hometown and promised that, after he returned from the war, they would exchange vows. But he was never able to carry out that promise, and the woman received news of his death in battle…

            Fuuko could go on no longer when she felt her eyes give way to weariness and she fell asleep, curled into herself, her glass of water left untouched.

****

            Fuuko's eyes fluttered open to the bright sunlight and the smell of pancakes and hot chocolate being prepared. At first she had no clue where she was, but after giving her brain time to recollect itself, she remembered everything that had happened the day before and early that morning. 

            Her wandering eyes caught sight of the glass of water that she had come down to get earlier that morning and never touched, the book she had been reading beside it. 

Stretching a bit, she felt her face go a little hot in embarrassment when she realized that her aunt or Mai must have found her asleep on the couch and placed a blanket on her; yet she could not help but smile inwardly at their kindness. 

            "Fuuko-chan, good. You're awake."

            Mai's voice piped in followed by her head popping out at the entrance to the living room.

            "Get a good night's sleep?"

            "Yes, thank you."

            Mai looked at Fuuko as though she didn't believe the words coming out of her mouth but walked towards the chair across from Fuuko anyway. Her eyes caught sight of the book Fuuko had pulled out of the bookshelf and her brows furrowed in deep thought for a moment before she resumed her idiotic smiling.

            "Like that book?"

            "Oh, sorry for just taking it. I just really needed something to do to get my mind off of some things."

            "I was just asking, Fuuko." 

            Mai smiled at her cousin's defensiveness.

            "Oh. Well, I like it."

            "Yeah. It was one of your favorite books…"

            _And so was his._

            Silence filled the atmosphere for a brief number of minutes when Mai began to fidget again and looked at Fuuko.

            "Hey, Fuuko, my friend just called me a few minutes before you got up and wanted me to come to her party. Wanna come? Mom already said we could go. She's gonna be out for a few days anyway – work calls you know."

            Fuuko looked at her with a blank face and just shook her head.

            "Why not?"

            "I really doubt that I was invited in the first place."

            "No. She said I could bring anyone that I wanted. C'mon, it'll be fun. Her parties are the greatest that this side of Japan has to offer."

            Fuuko only smiled. 

            "Thanks for being so nice to me, Mai, but really, I think I'd rather be here."

            Mai looked down dejectedly before answering, her voice matching her expression.

            "Well, I guess in that case, I'll stay too. Can't leave my cousin all alone, you know." She gave Fuuko the best smile that she could muster at the moment. 

            It took Fuuko only one look at her cousin's face when she instantly felt guilty and began waving her hands in front of her frantically, a nervous smile clearly written all over her face.

            "Ehh…Mai, I insist you go. And if your friend's parties are really the best, then the more I insist that you go. You can't miss out. I'll be fine here. Promise."

            Mai gave her a skeptical look for a moment before jumping out of her seat and giving her cousin a big hug and a nonsense thanks. Her words came out in such mumbles that Fuuko could hardly decipher what she was trying to say. 

            "Thank you so much, Fuuko. I owe you one. Are you sure you'll be all right? Are you sure?"

            "I'll be fine. Don't worry. Just have fun or whatever."

            "Are you sure?"

            "Yes. Positive."

            "One-hundred percent positive?"

            "Yes. Now quit pestering me or I'll change my mind." Fuuko gave Mai a wicked grin and she instantly took the hint and ran to the kitchen to help her mother with breakfast. Fuuko only shook her head before taking up her glass and walking to the kitchen herself. 

****

            "Look, I'm really sorry for leaving you and Mai like this, Fuuko, but it's one of those last minute things that just have to be done."

            Fuuko shook her head and replied, "No, it's all right. After all, you are allowing me to stay here with you." 

            "You're a sweet child, Fuuko." She turned to Mai. "And make sure to take care of the house while I'm away and watch out for your cousin, okay?"

            Fuuko blushed and looked at the ground while Mai nodded her head, indicating that she was going to obey her mother's orders. Mai's mother gave both girls a quick hug before having the taxi driver take her luggage to the cab while she followed in suite, her small briefcase in her grasp.

            Both girls stood at the front of the gate and watched as the cab sped off before Mai turned to face Fuuko.

            "Looks like the house is all ours…err yours for tonight anyway."

            She grabbed Fuuko's arm and giddily ran into the house, her cousin flying behind her. Mai didn't let go until they reached her bedroom and Mai began rummaging through her closet for a decent outfit.

            "Are you sure you don't wanna come? This is your last chance."

            "Yeah. Don't worry about it. I'm sure."

            Fuuko sat on Mai's bed and brought her legs up, crossing them Indian-style where the latter had left her upon entering the bedroom. 

            "Did I used to be like you?"

            "Huh?" 

            Mai didn't turn to face her cousin but continued to fling various pieces of clothing around her room, much to Fuuko's wandering eyes.

            "You know, go to parties and act as excited as you." 

            The last thing Mai threw behind her shoulder before she turned and leaned against the wall by the closet was a red and black plaid skirt. She looked at Fuuko with steady eyes and knew that this would be another of their more serious conversations. 

            "I guess so. You weren't as crazed as most other people, but you went." Her thoughts delved back into those days and a small smile made itself comfortable on her lips.

            "You always wanted to go just to see Tok…" 

            Mai immediately shut her mouth, tensed, and hoped to as many gods as she could think of that Fuuko wouldn't question her any more. It seemed that the gods weren't in Mai's favor as one of Fuuko's brows shot up in question.

            "Just to see…?"

            "To see…" Mai was already hammering her brain to think up of another thing to say. She couldn't say "Tokiya", but then again, it wasn't as if Fuuko could care anyway. She didn't even remember the guy. So what harm could there be in telling her – still she didn't want to risk it. "To see…Tokyo."

            Now Fuuko looked even more puzzled than ever.

            "To see Tokyo." Fuuko's voice had that air of skepticism about it.

            "Hai. You see, sometimes we would drive down to Tokyo for a few hours and just enjoy the sights. Lights there are really something you know." Mai turned back around and began rummaging through her closet once more for the mere reason that she didn't want Fuuko to see her face. Lying to Fuuko was the last thing she wanted to do.

            "Right."

            "Fuuko, your sarcastic side that has just popped out of nowhere is really starting to irritate me."

            And both girls started laughing.

            "I'll just leave you to get ready for your party. I'll be in my room unpacking."

            "Yeah, you do that. I'll be here if you need me."

            Fuuko hopped off of Mai's bed and walked out of the room and into her own room to attend to her own business. Meanwhile, Mai heaved out a long sigh of relief and rested herself, once again, against the wall next to her closet. 

****

            Tokiya pulled his hair up in a clean ponytail while grumbling something about certain persistent older sisters buttering up their younger brothers so much that they'd do what the former asked. 

            "You ready yet, Tokiya-chan?" 

            Mifuyu poked her head into Tokiya's bedroom fully clad in a black skirt and lavender turtleneck. 

            "Just about. I still can't believe you talked me into going to Kohryuu Nagoya's party. Do you know what kind of people she invites? She invites people from bums on the street to snobby rich people! That girl has some serious mental issues, you know that?"

            "C'mon. Be nice, Tokiya-chan."

            "Tch."

            "Oh, I promise you'll have fun."

            "You call being in a room with a bunch of ditzy-brained young ladies that want to get into guys' pants – well more precisely MY pants – and mingling with guys that get drunk before the party even starts fun!?"

            Mifuyu gave her brother a silly grin as her face went red with embarrassment.

"You're exaggerating, Tokiya-chan. Not everyone there is like that. You just have to group with the right kinds of people."

            "I can't help it if the WRONG kinds of people flock on over to me, you know."

            Mifuyu gave him a sheepish smile.

            "Can't blame you for being such a girl magnet either." She caught sight of her brother's defensive glare and instantly changed the subject. "But you're a responsible guy."

            "Yeah, I know. How many times have you reminded me?" Tokiya sighed resignedly and smiled lovingly at his sister. 

            No matter how much she seemed to bother him at times with her "girly" habits, he couldn't help but thank Kami-sama that he had such a caring older sister. Tokiya rolled his eyes and strolled on out of his door, his sister clapping her hands and walking out with him. 

            "The weather has changed since this morning, ne?"

            Tokiya locked the front door and turned around looking up at the looming, gray clouds in the sky. 

            "Yeah, definitely."

            "Mou! The sun's gone." Mifuyu pouted as she waited for Tokiya to switch off the alarm and unlock the doors of the car. 

            Tokiya chuckled. Sometimes he wondered if she really were his older sister; a lot of the time it felt the other way around. It never used to be like that – at least not until he "grew up". 

            As soon as both siblings entered the car, Tokiya stepped on the gas and backed up from his driveway, ready to drive the next fifteen to twenty minutes to the Nagoya residence. 

            Silence invaded the space between the siblings before Mifuyu's voice decided to let its presence be known. 

            "Tokiya-chan, you've seemed a little tense the past day. Anything on your mind?"

            Tokiya recognized the sudden change in his sister's voice and identified it as one of her serious-tell-your-older-sister-everything voice. By shutting up, he easily avoided further questioning, but it drove him insane to see his sister plead with her eyes, and he knew it was all out of pure concern and love. It seemed an eternity before Tokiya could find his voice.

            "Fuuko."

            "You mean, Kirisawa-chan? The sweet sophomore girl that moved with her family to the U.S.?"

            It never ceased to amaze him how fast his sister's memory was. 

            "Hai."

            "What about her?"

_            …her parents got into a car accident in the U.S…_

            "I saw her."

            _…lucky to come out of the accident alive…_

            "Really? That must have been great. Did you get to talk to her?"

            _…cost of her memory…_

            "No."

            _…you should back off for a while…_

            Tokiya nearly choked. "Mifuyu-chan, I don't really feel like talking right now. Gomen ne. Maybe later."

            Mifuyu knew exactly when to leave her younger brother alone, and this happened to be one of those times. Mifuyu nodded her head slightly and averted her gaze to the road ahead of her, not catching a glimpse of the unbecoming frown that rested on Tokiya's forehead nor the strong determination in his eyes.

****

            Fuuko fell back on her bed, the book she had been reading from the night before, clutched to her chest. Mai had left well over an hour ago, and Fuuko had done nothing during that span of time except look outside the living room window from where she sat on the couch, staring into absolutely nothing. Why she hadn't bothered to do anything else was beyond all thought. She didn't know the answer either.

            Only when the sound of raindrops against the window reached her ears did she wake from her stupor. It had been bright and sunny earlier that morning and towards the afternoon the clouds started moving in. Only now did the rain begin to fall. 

            She wanted to sleep but the constant pitter-patter of the rain against the windowpane in her bedroom made her restless, and she found herself drawing little invisible designs in the air with her finger. Her stomach grumbled some here and there, and she longed to cook something but she and the kitchen were never the best of friends. Fuuko really had no wish of blowing up her aunt and cousin's house either.

            The sun had already disappeared in the horizon and it would have been pitch-black outside were it not for the lampposts outside along the block. The sky was completely devoid of the moon and stars, and Fuuko felt a shiver run through her. 

            Curling up next to her pillow, she began to read the pages of the book where she had left off last, trying desperately to forget the rain and the darkness. 

****

            "Tokiya-sama, I just love your hair." 

            One of the so called "ditzy-brained" girls that Tokiya had mentioned earlier had already gotten hold of him and was about to attempt to playfully curl her fingers through his tresses when he swatted her hands away. 

And not only was she "ditzy-brained" but she was also some kind of demented psychic. How the hell is it that all these obsessive girls know his name, his address, his phone number, his everything, but he doesn't one thing about them? Tokiya shuddered at the though of being the possible prey of women stalkers.

            "Miss, I don't even know your name, and you're already putting the moves on me. May I suggest that we get to know each other better first?"

            Tokiya groaned inwardly. He would really rather not get to know her better, but he didn't want to be rude.

            "Oh how awfully impolite of me, ne, Tokiya-sama? I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Rinai." She let a giggle escape her lips and Tokiya cringed at her forced sweetness – at least it seemed forced. 

            "And how is it, may I inquire, that you know my name, Rinai-san?"

            "Oh, you're so adorable when you pretend not to know these things." Rinai proceeded to pinch his cheeks playfully, and it took every ounce of human will power within him to keep from slapping the girl silly. How dare she!

            _Megami-sama, if you love me, you'll get me out of this! Please!_

            And indeed, the goddess did hear the young man's pleas and indeed loved him so, for at that moment he saw the one person in the whole party that could get rid of the annoying young lady.

            "Mai-chan!"

            The blue haired girl turned round at the sound of her name and saw Tokiya in the grasps of a lavender haired woman. If it were not for the expression on his face that sent her laughing uncontrollably, she would have wondered what he was doing there at Kohryuu's party and thanked the gods that Fuuko wasn't there with her at the same time. She continued to laugh as she staggered to get over to him. She didn't have to ask, for his face alone told her what he wanted. 

            "What are you laughing at?" Rinai asked, puzzled at the sudden girl's merry outburst.

            "Gomen. Gomen, demo I just really think that it's funny that you and Tokiya…" Mai continued laughing.

            "That me and Tokiya-sama what?"

            "You see," Mai shook her head to regain all sense and composure, if she had those things at all, and started again, "Tokiya-kun is, well, gay."

            Both Rinai and Tokiya's faces changed drastically. Rinai looked mortified, horrified, and embarrassed while Tokiya looked ready to violently pounce on Mai and rip her to shreds. 

            "Y…you're not serious. Is she, Tokiya-sama?" The quavering girl looked beside her and looked at Tokiya expectantly, somewhat slightly uneasy, but he didn't answer. He was still glaring daggers at the blue-haired teenager, steam practically coming out of his ears.

            Mai continued smiling, obviously ignoring Tokiya, and paid more attention to Rinai. 

            "See? He's so shocked that his secret was revealed that he can't speak."

            "Oh Kami-sama!" She slowly backed away from Tokiya. "I have to tell the other girls. Please excuse me." And with that Rinai rushed to her little groupie at the other side of the house.

            Mai's smile widened about another ten miles as she slowly turned her head to Tokiya. 

            "Happy? Now she's gone."

            The next thing Mai knew was her neck was the prime target of Tokiya's firm grip and she was slowly dragged to the more secluded area of the house – the balcony by the staircase, overlooking the indoor pool. 

            "Are you trying to ruin my reputation!?" 

            "Well, it's not like you really had a reputation anyway. Except maybe as a pretty boy."

            Tokiya clenched his fists and shut his eyes tight.

            "Mai, if I had absolutely no respect for women, you'd be dead now."

            "Not unless you commit seppuku first."

            Tokiya put his hands up in an attempt to strangle the girl some more and Mai ducked in order to avoid the violent gesture. She popped up back behind him and patted his shoulder gently.

            "Okay, I'm sorry, but hey. Look at it this way, Tokiya, at least those girls won't bother you anymore."

            "But was it really necessary to tell them that I was gay!? I happen to be very homophobic." 

            "Oh, calm down, Tokiya. Enjoy life and have fun with it. One day, you might find that your life has been taken from you and everything's changed and there's nothing you can do to revert things to the way it was."

            Mai sighed deeply and leaned against the balcony, watching the people splash water at each other in the pool. 

            "…Fuuko."

            At the sound of her cousin's name, Mai shot a sideways glance at Tokiya, who was leaning on his back against the balcony, his head pointed skyward.

            "Look Tokiya, I've already told you. Back off."

            Tokiya didn't say anything but continued to look up at the ceiling.

            "Let her leave your mind for a while, okay? It'll be in your best interest if you care about her even a little. It'll do you some good, too."

            "It's so easy for you to say that Mai. You get to see her everyday."

            Mai was speechless for a moment when the obvious finally deadpanned her in the face.

            "Oh jeez. You still like her don't you?"

            The boy didn't answer.

            "Sou ne. Well, I really should get going. The night is still young you know." 

            Mai walked away leaving Tokiya to sift through his thoughts once more. Mai hated to say or do anything that would cause pain to her friends and family, but sometimes, she knew that it was better that way. 

She couldn't help but notice that her legs felt heavier as she strode into the kitchen where some of the guys, who saw her walk in, handed her a large bottle of sake, which she accepted openly.

****

            Fuuko awoke to the sound of the doorbell. While reading the book that she had taken such a great liking to, she had fallen asleep. She looked over to her bedside table and read the flashing, red lights of her clock. It was already 10:30. It had been nearly 5 hours since Mai left the house, and the rain had not yet ceased mourning.

            The sound of the doorbell ringing again brought Fuuko to her feet and she began her trudge down the stairs to the door. 

            Making her way through the house, Fuuko stumbled across many different kinds of furniture as she fumbled in the darkness for the light switch. 

            Reaching the front door, which to Fuuko seemed rather miraculous, she swung it open and was met with the same baby blues from the night before.

            "Konban wa."

            Fuuko remained speechless as she continued to look at him, forgetting that it was pouring outside getting the young stranger drenched to the bone. 

            She was too stunned at the sudden appearance of the young man who had made her heart a skip a beat or two at Shibuya, for some mysterious reason or other, that she had failed to notice her cousin in his arms, in a complete state of drunken stupor.

** Final Notes **

            Strange how the really crappy chapters turn out to be longer (even if they are longer by only a few pages) than the better chapters. *sweatdrop* This chapter didn't come out as nice as I had expected or wanted it to be. *dies of embarrassment*

            And about Mai and her statement about Toki-chan being gay… Gomen nasai, minna-chan! Gomen ne, Toki-chan. I was tempted. Yep, that's what I meant in the beginning when I said sick humor.  

            And yet another apology. Not only was this chapter late, cruddy, and twisted, but it didn't have too much Toki/Fuu. I'm so very sorry! Please forgive me. I promise the next chapter will be more of those two. Couldn't you tell from the ending? Nyahahah!! What a wonderful place to end a chapter. Cliffhanger!! Sorry. My evil streak is showing up. It'll pass, I assure you.

            Lastly, we have disclaimers. All Recca no Honou characters belong to Anzai Nobuyuki-sama. Bow to his greatness, minna-chan. Hey if we suck up to him, he might let us adopt and copyright one of his characters. If that is ever possible, I get dibs on Toki-chan!! ^0^!! And all original characters, including Kohryuu Nagoya who was only mentioned but never presented and Rinai, belong to me. ^-^ Notice how all the orig characters are building up? Hehe. I think this is where I draw the line.  


	4. Chapter 4

**** Finding You ****

== Author Notes ==

Lord knows how long I've wanted to get this chapter done and posted. *sigh* Gomen nasai for the delay, minna-chan. If it weren't for writer's block, a twisted ankle, and the flu, I just might have been able to get this out a little bit sooner. 

There's really nothing I'd like to say except that I don't like the way this chapter came out. :P~~ It pretty much sucks shit. If anyone has a hammer, would you please lend me one so that I can blow the writer's blockade to nothing but ashes? I don't know. I just didn't find this chapter too appealing when I wrote it. I thought it would be the best out of all the chapters before I started writing this part. Guess I was wrong. Other than that, I would say the only thing you have to worry about is the mush. But I can't help it. I think it's my genes. My sister used to write mush too…that is, before she went off to college. 

And yes, thank you to all the reviewers! You're the best. Sugoi da yo! =) It's your reviews that make me actually want to continue. Hehe. It's motivation at its best. Arigatou gozaimashita deshou! This fic is dedicated to you all. *glomp*

Anyhoo, enjoy chapter 4, ne? Or at least enjoy it more than I did. :P~~~ 

****

_"Konban wa, Mrs. Kirisawa."_

_            "Oh, Tokiya-kun, come in. Please." The older woman swung the door wider to allow the tuxedo-clad boy to enter her home. "Gomen ne, Tokiya-kun, but Fuuko is still getting ready. This is her first prom after all."_

_            "That's alright," Tokiya answered with a faint and rather amused smile. _

_            Fuuko never really found the idea of wearing anything with a skirt very appealing, and the thought of wearing an evening gown had never, once, crossed her mind. She was a woman with free will and she would not allow the opinions of society to tell her otherwise. That was one of the reasons why Tokiya had always found her fascinating. She was different. Perhaps conservative? No, she was just independent.  _

_            "Why don't you come in to the den and make yourself more comfortable?" Mrs. Kirisawa led the way walking down a brightly lit space before entering the appointed room, Tokiya sauntering right behind her, his right hand occupied with a clear plastic box holding the carnation corsage. _

_            "Can I offer you anything to drink while you wait? Tea perhaps?"_

_            "No, thank you. I'm all right."_

_            Mrs. Kirisawa observed the boy with wonder as she took her place on the seat across from Tokiya. Her daughter had been dating the senior boy for close to half a year now, and he had come to their place on more than one occasion. And it never failed to amaze her how he always managed to please her. Truth be told, she approved of him, and so did her husband. _

_            Tokiya was charming, polite, and sincere. They had the satisfaction of knowing that their daughter was in good hands.  As parents, they had feared that Tokiya was just another hormone-driven teenage male, and the fact that he was two years older than their daughter made them worry more. But after their first meeting with one another, they were very impressed and gave their consent. _

_            "This is your last year?"_

_            "Hai. I'll be going to Tokyo University next year and majoring under law."_

_            "Sou ne. It's good to know that at least some of the younger generation knows where they're headed in life. Fuuko's still not sure, and it worries her father and me."_

_            "She's a smart girl. I'm sure she'll get through life without much difficulty."_

_            "We know that, but as parents we worry. As parents we always fear how our children will do later in life. We won't be there forever, you know."_

_            "Saa." A chuckle escaped Tokiya's lips. "It seems like that with all parents – even my own."_

_            "Yes. Well, let me go up and check on Fuuko for you. I wouldn't want you to be waiting here for Kami knows how long, and I'm sure she wouldn't want to miss any more time than she has to. These nights go by fast, you know." Mrs. Kirisawa stood up and casually walked past the den and up the stairs._

****

            It was as if that night was clearly imprinted in his memory. Even photos were not capable of retelling that night with the same perfection as did those in his mind. 

            Mrs. Kirisawa's words still sounded fresh in his ears, though it had been almost a year since that night. 

            _…As parents we always fear how our children will do later in life…_

_            …We won't be there forever, you know…_

            An almost bitter smile crept onto Tokiya's visage. Had he known that day was closer than could rationally be imagined, maybe he wouldn't have let Fuuko go that easily…maybe…

            Tokiya sat on the same couch that Fuuko had occupied the night before in the ill-lit parlor of Mai's home reminiscing of days long gone but wanted more to never have ended. He berated himself for not having the strength to go on, for not having the strength to hold on to Fuuko. Perhaps it was the initial shock of being turned away that weakened him. 

Perhaps? 

He didn't know. All he knew was that she was back again, and he would find a way to make her his once again.

            It would take some time…but time was but another obstacle and love is always full of obstacles, was it not?

            He waited patiently for Fuuko, who was still on the second floor tending to her cousin, who was currently not in a stable state of mind. Hopefully, she was making progress. He had a hard time as it was keeping her still while he drove her home. 

            He hadn't expected Fuuko to be the one standing dumbstruck at the other end of the door when he arrived. It had taken her a while to allow him passage, and why exactly, he could not decipher and he had been too caught up in getting Mai out of the rain to really delve into it. 

            After a short introduction, Tokiya helped Fuuko get Mai to her bedroom wherein she tended to her after ushering Tokiya to go downstairs and make himself at home and she would be with him shortly. He had intended to go straight home but Fuuko wouldn't hear of it and insisted that he wait until the rain let up or dwindled a bit so that he would get home ably with an umbrella and not get blown away. 

            He smiled at the notion. Her mind was completely wiped out of all things past, but she still showed the same kind of almost affectionate attitude that she did back then…

****

"Mifuyu-chan, where's your brother?"

            Mifuyu turned around to the sound of the hostess's voice, Kohryuu. 

            "Ehh?"

            "I haven't seen him this entire night. You said he came along, didn't you?"

            "Well, he was with me. Where did he run off to this time?"

            "Younger brothers! What can I say?" Kohryuu let out a giggle and grabbed Mifuyu's arm. "Bummer. Some of the girls really wanted to meet your brother. His fame is spreading like wildfire you know."

            Mifuyu rolled her eyes at the comment. That statement could not have been any more true. If one had thought that the girls that obsessed and worshipped Tokiya at their school were horrible, then that particular individual must not get out much. Truth be told, there were even worse young ladies at schools that haven't even seen the boy's blessed face yet. 

            "Anou, Kohryuu-chan, I'll catch up with you in a minute. I'm worried about my brother and I don't really want to spend the entire evening searching for him." 

            And indeed, you couldn't blame the poor girl. The house was a maze and during parties, they were hell. The last thing anyone would want to do is go around looking for an individual among the hundreds of people scattered about the place. Mifuyu took out her cell-phone and dialed Tokiya's number, and this is why the Mikagamis are smart. 

****

            Tokiya had not long been sitting on the same couch that Fuuko had slept in the night before when he heard his cell phone go off. Not even bothering to look into the screen of his phone, he sighed and picked it up. No doubt it was Mifuyu – how could he not know? They had this psychic brother-sister thing going on.

            "Hello."

            "Hey, Tokiya? This is Mifuyu."

            "Figured." He took a breather, both sides silent before his mouth started moving again. "So, what's up?"

            "Just checking up on little bro. Where are you? You just disappeared."

            "Oh, that. Sorry, Mifuyu-chan. I guess I forgot to tell you before I left, but it looks like the boys couldn't go through one night of party without getting some fun. And Mai just happened to be their victim. I would have told you that I went to take her home, but you looked busy anyway."

            "Sou ne. Well, don't forget to pick me up, kay?"

            "Ne, onee-chan, I didn't take your car. I put your keys in your purse before I left, so when you decide to go home, just go. I'll just walk home from here. The house isn't too far off."

            "In this weather?"

            "No. The hostess of the house doesn't want me to leave the house until the rain lets up. So just go home without me. I'm most likely to get there before you do anyway." 

            "Are you sure?" Mifuyu asked, her voice filled with skepticism.

            "Yeah."

            "Well, okay. If you say so. I'll see you later then, Tokiya-chan."

            "Later then, nee-chan."

                Tokiya pressed the end button and stuffed his cell phone in his pocket where it rested before Mifuyu called. No sooner had he done so and he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and a head cropped with purple-pink hair peep in through the corner that lead into the ill-lit room.

            "Sorry to have kept you waiting. It took Mai a while before she finally hit rock bottom."

"No prob. I was just sitting here drying up anyway."

"Sou ka. Anou, you want a towel or something?"

"No, I'm fine. Just a little damp, but I think I'll survive."

"Hai.  So are you hungry? I'm planning to go cook something anyway. I haven't had anything to eat myself." 

            She began to trudge towards the kitchen and Tokiya stood up to follow, silently wincing. He hadn't been her boyfriend for nothing and as far as he knew, Fuuko couldn't cook to save her life. Maybe there could be a possible way for him to help her out a bit. There was no way he could ever get Fuuko back if she died of food poisoning.

            "Do you have anything in mind that you wanna eat? I don't mind really. I can eat just about anything now."

            "Not really. Anything sounds good to me too."

            "Okay then. That just limited my options by about…" she paused and looked at him with a smile on her face, "…zero. Does ramen and vegetable salad sound good?"

            A simple nod came as her response.

            She began rummaging below the counter and sounds of clanking metal indicated that she was looking for the pots. It seemed the perfect time to offer the poor girl some help. 

            Leaning over the counter, Tokiya could only make out as much as the girl's backside. Blushing, he leaned back and tentatively asked the girl if she needed any help. 

            At first he was only answered by the sound of more clashing pots but after a short intermission, the girl finally emerged from the cupboard below with a bright smile.

            "Found it," she beamed. "And what were you saying? I couldn't quite hear you down there."

            "I could help if you want."

            "That'd be great."

            "Do you wanna boil the water?"

            "Sure."

            Tokiya walked around the corner to the sink where he carefully put some cold water into the metal pot. Upon placing it onto the stove to allow the water to boil, he looked at Fuuko who was strangely too fixated on the chopping board and the chopping knife.

            "Fuuko-san?"

            Tokiya had walked beside the girl and looked at the counter with the scattered vegetables and back to Fuuko. He pointed at the chopping board.

            "I could help out with that too. Our late dinner would get finished quicker."

            Fuuko blinked, surprised, and shoved him another chopping board and knife. 

            "Ne, Tokiya-san, since you're being so generous, you may have the honors of mincing the carrots."

            Tokiya took hold of the items and, with deft and skillful hands, began to artfully mince the carrots. Cooking had never been a difficult task for him; he had been cooking by his sister's side for as long as he could remember. 

            Fuuko stared at the speed that her companion was chopping up the poor vegetables. She was almost afraid that he might chop off one of his fingers. She had been so preoccupied with watching his movements and getting lost in her own musings that she failed to notice that he had finished.

            When reality decided to finally knock the poor girl out of dream world, she saw a smile-infected Tokiya looking at her, his elbow leaning against the tiled counter. Bewildered, she blinked but said nothing. Tokiya just allowed his finger to point on over to Fuuko's clean chopping board and knife and the other various vegetables beside it.

            "Need help mincing those too?" he asked with a grin.

            Fuuko blushed and immediately shook her head. She immediately set to work with her part of the cooking job, Tokiya standing beside her, a silly smile plastered on his face. 

            It had not escaped him how she seemed to pay attention to the neat pile of bits of carrot not far from her. Occasionally, she would arch a brow and then set to work with her own chopping. It entertained him to a certain point – that is until it began to remind him of "his" Fuuko. 

No, she may have completely lost all memory in her main databank but she was still the same person, and with her she carried the same habits. 

            Whenever she saw something she liked, she would try just as hard to replicate it, even if she failed miserably, and more often than not, she did. 

            "How do you do that?" 

Fuuko's mutters took Tokiya out of his previous contemplations and he averted his attention to the half irritated, half determined girl.

"Do what?"

"That." She pointed her knife at Tokiya's pile. "It's perfect." She looked down at her own mess and turned crimson. "And mine. Well, let's not even go there."

"Call it practice."

            "Still…" she began to poke at her own pile.

            "I could give you a small lesson if you want, Fuuko-san."

            "Mm?"

            "Sure. It's not that hard, and after you get the hang of it, it's a piece of cake."

            "That would be…nice."

            Tokiya tentatively walked towards her, and only a few moments before she could step aside, she found Tokiya behind her.

            "Ehh?"

            "Trust me?"

            She was silent but she nodded her approval.

            Tokiya took a deep breath and put his hands on her petite ones. He hadn't failed to notice the bandage around her arm, and his best guess as to what lay behind it was pretty accurate. Not paying much attention to it, he took hold of her hands and gave her a step-by-step lesson in preparing veggies. 

            He could feel his heart pounding madly in his chest. And he stood so close behind her that he was almost quite certain that Fuuko could feel it through her back.

            _…so close…_

            He breathed in her scent – the same strawberry crème scent that always left him intoxicated, reasons completely unknown to him. Yes, truth be told, he did miss it. 

            Leaning in closer, he began to point out things to her that she should pay especial notice to while performing the task at hand. He may not have known it but Tokiya was rambling, not knowing exactly what words he was dishing out. He was too preoccupied with the feeling of Fuuko so close to him and in his arms to pay attention to anything else.

            He liked her a lot…dare he say love…

            _…no…maybe not just yet…_

_            …but still I know that you're the one for me…_

_            …I'm just waiting for the day when my heart can honestly say it…_

            Fuuko liked this feeling of him being so close to her. So what if he was a stranger? Though she barely knew him, she liked being around him. He made her feel comfortable – safe even. It was almost as if she had known him for a long time and no words were needed to communicate what the other wanted to say. And yes, she had to admit that he was an eye-catcher.

            The intimacy between them caused her cheeks to warm in temperature and each time he spoke, his breath mingled with her skin and it sent chills down her spine – chills that she happened to like. They weren't anything like those she felt when the black images ran through her mind at night, but they were more the chills that left you on the edge. She liked it…

            _…don't let go…_

Yes, she did hear his voice, but that was all she was able to decipher. Deep and sure…that was all. The words…they were all insignificant. She knew words were being said but to make sense of any them were for naught.

            It seemed as if time had sped up while Tokiya held the girl in his arms for when he regained concrete thinking, he realized that he was finished with his small lesson. Fuuko, too, was disappointed as he slowly let her go. And it was this sudden revelation that half excited and half scared Fuuko. 

            "You think you can take it from here?"

            "Yes, thank you," she half-stuttered. 

            Fuuko set to work and occasionally glanced from the corner of her eye at her companion. It was more than a mere attraction. Whatever it was, she couldn't figure it out, and was nearly driving her insane. Her thoughts dwelled on that topic for a long time until dinner started and she had forgotten all. Yet in the darkest recesses of her mind stood a dark image of a boy – a boy she knew, a boy she had given her heart to, a boy she had left behind for a life that would forever change her…

****

            "I'll see you tomorrow, Kohryuu-chan."

            "Hai, hai. It's best that the guests be leaving now anyway before this rain begins to turn into an outright furious hurricane."

            "Sou ka. And hopefully, Tokiya-kun got home in one piece."

            "Whatever did happen to your brother, Mifuyu-chan?"

            "His manners kicked in and decided to take home one of your drunken guests."

            Kohryuu giggled, her lavender curls bouncing lightly. "You've got a smart brother, Mifuyu. I'm sure he got back home. Ne, and won't you tell him I said hello? I never did get to see him the entire night."

            "Gotcha." Mifuyu waved goodbye and ran into the rain to her parked car just a few yards away from Kohryuu's driveway. 

            She drove carefully through the winding, criss-crossing streets as the rain was now pouring relentlessly outside, the wind having picked up, howling as it coursed down the streets. The last thing she needed was to get into an accident.

            On her way home, she passed Mai's place and wasn't too surprised when she saw it was the only house on the block with lights still on. Her instincts told her Tokiya had not gone home yet and she was just about to call him but then thought against it at the last minute. 

            As Tokiya's older sister, not only did they have the ability to sometimes read each other's minds, as freaky as that may sound, but they could also tell if there was something amiss. And being a Mikagami, Mifuyu inherited a pretty intelligent brain, if anything at all. When Tokiya had mentioned Fuuko earlier, she had already begun to get strange vibes from her brother but let it pass, thinking he still hadn't gotten over Fuuko yet, but now her feelings began to change. Mai was Fuuko's cousin, was she not? Well, if anything, Mifuyu probably knew the most about what had happened between Fuuko and Tokiya months ago than anyone else. And if Fuuko was here…well, may her mind not jump into any other conclusions. 

            Stepping on the gas, Mai resumed her driving through the lonely street and around the corner entering the highway that would take her home. As she drove, a part of her was hoping that Tokiya wasn't home.

****

            "Thanks for helping me with dinner and everything, Toki-chan."

            "Toki-chan?"

            Fuuko blushed. "Do you mind?"

            "No, it's fine," he replied, his lips turning up slightly.

            The two stepped back into the living room and Fuuko hopped onto the couch with only half as much enthusiasm as she would normally have given that it wasn't midnight.

            Tokiya shook his head in amusement and seated himself down beside her. During their dinner, they gradually began to open up to each other. He was surprised that Fuuko was the one to break the barrier but was glad nonetheless that at least the barrier was broken. 

            She had even gone so far as to ask if he had an intimate relationship with Mai, which he denied with much gusto. He mentally laughed as the thought of he and Mai ever being official entered his psyche once more. That was something he could not see happening, and hopefully the gods would be kind enough to kill him before it ever happened.

            It wasn't that Mai was unbearable – it was just she wasn't his type and he saw her more as a younger sister and confidante when Mifuyu wasn't around or couldn't give him an answer. And he loved her like a brother would a sister, nothing more. His heart, as far as he knew for now, was reserved for one woman, and one woman alone. Only time would tell if that woman was truly the one for him…the one who held the other end of his crimson destiny.

            What took him by complete and utter surprise was her openness in conversation with what she remembered of her life. He could feel himself trembling at her too calm words as she spoke about the accident, the parents she could no longer remember, and the past long forgotten. He thought he had caught a glimpse of a glint in her eyes but she looked down and stared just a little too abnormally at her ramen and vegetables just when he began to think something of it. 

            He felt sorry for her, but she would not accept his pity. Instead she bounced back into a happy smile, Tokiya knowing full well how apocryphal her attitude was but let himself be dragged in it. Their conversation shifted into Tokiya's major at Tokyo University, their meal ending nicely, and now both teenagers found themselves sitting on the couch in the living room.

            "Toki-chan?"

            "Mm?"

            "What's it like?" Fuuko's voice sounded tired and she was shifting in all directions for a comfortable position.

            "Nani?"

            "To have a family…" Fuuko's eyelids were beginning to weaken and everything about her seemed nothing but a blur. Sleep…that was the last thing she wanted to succumb to.

            By now, it wasn't too surprising a question, and Tokiya acquiesced into answering her query. His words, once again, were elaborate, but it was a shame that his mind wasn't really connected to his mouth. He hadn't the faintest idea what words he was spitting out until he felt something lightly tap him on the shoulder. 

Looking down, he saw Fuuko's head rested upon his shoulder, strands and wisps of her hair resting on the sides of her face and flowing down her shoulders and back. Her feet were tucked beside her and her arms lay sprawled comfortably on her lap, the large sweater doing nothing much to conceal the bandages around her arm. Her breathing was calm and even, and her eyes a peaceful close indicating nothing else but the simple obvious that she had slipped into the world of 40 winks. 

            Figuring that this would be the best time to make his leave, he tentatively reached over and tried to prop her into his arms to put her in a more comfortable position, but a small stir from him was a small stir too much, and her tiny, delicate hand grabbed onto his shirt. 

She moaned something incoherent and went about murmuring some more, an unbecoming frown resting on her forehead.

            What he did happen to catch of her murmurs made him stop all thinking and all physical activity. 

            "…stay…"

            "…stay with me, Mi-chan…"

            That was the last thing he had expected to come out of her lips. 

            _Mi-chan._

He couldn't remember the last time she had said that. 

Whether he knew it or not, he allowed himself to be pulled by the sleeping girl into sleep himself, and no sooner did that happen and his eyes, too, began to submit to a blissful sweet surrender, his arm unconsciously wrapping itself around the slender shoulders of the girl beside him in a firm almost protective but gentle hold. 

****

            _Both teenagers ran giggling through the winding concrete path of the park seeking shelter from the pouring rain, finally finding solace in the small dome-topped gazebo. _

_            "Ne…ne," Fuuko tried to begin between fits of giggles and trying to catch her breath, "that was fun." She looked up and tried to find any reaction, hopefully a glint of satisfaction, from Tokiya's baby blues and immediately found what she was looking for. "We should do it again," she gasped contentedly._

_            "Hai. Breaking the rules once in a while is a thrill."_

_            The shorter girl snuggled closer into the chest of the taller boy. "Mou! But next time, we'll try not to get kicked out of the theater when it's raining, ne?"_

_            Tokiya chuckled and rested his chin on her damp hair. _

_            His hands slowly ran up her back and played with the tips of her dampened hair and as he felt her snuggling closer in his warmth, he caught a whiff of her scent, an aroma that always had a firm but gentle impact on his senses. _

_            As he held her close, he realized how wrong the world's perception was of the way things were. Most girls envied Fuuko for she held Tokiya's admiration, and the conclusion drawn from that was that Fuuko was the lucky one. Tokiya held the contrary. He strongly believed that he was the lucky one to have such a being as she in his arms. _

_            He would have let the ideas roaming around in his head to continue their roving if it weren't for the warm, soft hands that gently caressed the sides of his face. Looking down, he saw nothing but deep pools of blue filled with nothing but a gentle affection and he yielded to their want. _

_            Hands firmly grasping onto his shoulders, Fuuko stood on tiptoes and brushed her lips softly against his. _

_Softly, almost fleeting. _

_Teasing._

_She withdrew and looked back up at him, pleased with the reaction that she elicited. _

_            Her giggle was stopped when his mouth clamped over hers in response to her previous action. Surprised at first but she conceded and closed her eyes, allowing him entry into her welcoming warmth and tasting the sweetness only she produced. _

_            The rain persisted though the sun now shone brightly behind the distant buildings in the city just outside the small park. _

_            For a moment they had forgotten all of their surroundings. Their kiss escalated and both had become so engrossed that for the time being they had forgotten some small but very important detail, like oxygen deprivation. Finally out of breath, the two slowly let go and Fuuko looked meekly up at Tokiya. _

_            Tokiya responded with a cocky smile and brushed away the strands of hair that had stuck onto her damp skin. _

_            "Want me to take you home now, Fuu-chan?" he asked in a tone so gentle that it almost came out a whisper._

_Fuuko shook her head timorously and looked down at her feet. "Iie…Mi-chan. Iie."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Just…"_

_"…"_

_"…stay with me, Mi-chan…"_

** Final Notes **

Just in case curiosity happens to bite you in the ass, the last part with the italics is a dream sequence/flashback. Yeah, there's going to be a whole hell of a lot of them in the upcoming parts. *sigh* Gomen ne if it got too mushy gushy there, ne? ^-^;; It was not planned…sorta just happened.

And last but not least, all characters and original story belong to Anzai Nobuyuki-sama. I don't claim any rights to the characters except my original characters Mai, Kohryuu, Rinai, etc., etc. and this fic. I think you know the drill by now, ne? ^-^;; And if ever Anzai Nobuyuki-sama ever decides to get rid of his characters, I get dibs on Toki-chan!! Nyahahaha~!! X) Don't take it personally…it's just a random insert from the author, ne? 


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